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Traits
Each character begins at Level 1 with 1 Trait, which adds 2d10 to your dice pool for selected actions, plus selected Skills. This is the first and most important defining feature of your character. You may later choose a second Trait, but not before Level 15. Each Trait may gain up to 2 Trait Specific Skills. At Level 7, you may choose your first Trait Specific Skill. At Level 14 you may choose your second Trait Specific Skiills, or choose a new Trait. At Level 21 you may either choose a Trait Specifc Skill for one of your Traits or, if not done previously, choose your second Trait. At Level 28, you may choose your final Trait Specific Skill. EXCEPTIONS TO THE ABOVE The Void Touched is a single-Trait only option and works very differently to the other Traits. The Mage also works a little differently, in that you'll get the option to master up to 2 elements, which will affect any magic you cast. Some examples are below: 'Werewolf' You change with the rising of the moon. Full moons mean you have no choice, and have no control over your actions. All other nights, you may choose to change, but risk losing control if you can't keep your emotions in check. Skills: 'Attack melee +2. Armour +2. 'Form Control: Gain control of your wolf form outside of the lunar cycle - change day or night, just remember it's going to hurt. Bonus: +2 to all physical actions, checks and rolls Penalty: Negative stimulation can force change, and you may not have control over your actions. Only one change per rest, the pain is too much for more. 'Augmented Senses:' All your senses are heightened as a human, and receive another boost when in wolf form. Strong sensory stimulation can interfere. Bonus: Add +2 to all sensory checks. Add another +2 if in wolf form. Penalty: 'Overstimulation or interference will cause you pain and block that sense for a while,. If in wolf form, return to human. -4 for your next 5 rolls. 'Terrifying Visage: When in wolf form, scare your enemies into a standstill, or force them to flee. In human form, assist people in deciding whether to help you or not. Bonus: In wolf form, roll 1d10 against a pass/fail difficulty check to see if your enemies freeze or flee. In human form: add +4 to any Intimidate/Persuade checks. Penalty: A failed roll gives -2 on rolls for the rest of the encounter. 'Vampire' As a vampire, you shadow the space between life and death, keeping the latter at bay by consuming the former. Blood is the fastest, but most crude, way to do this, but for those who delve deep enough there is ancient magic which allows life force to be taken from a living subject. As a vampire, you have increased strength and defences which aid your undead immortality, but the longer you live, the harder it can be to keep your mind intact. Skills: 'Strength +2. Armour skin +2 'Familiar Not every vampire is fortunate enough to summon a familiar, but once bound the chosen creature will serve unto death. This creature will sap some of your strength, but for those that possess one, the benefits to the mind link are considered to outweigh these trifling effects. Bonus: In battle, reroll 1d10 toimprove your result. As you send your familiar into battle, they will attack or distract your foe, or stay close to protect you however they can. Penalty: -2 from your roll each time your familiar attacks. As their strength wanes, so does yours, each time they attack they grow a little weaker. Should your familiar be seriously injured or killed, you will be dangerously weakened. 'Bloody Sacrifice' Blood may be crude, but taking it does more than just weaken your target, it also links your mind to theirs, briefly. You gain control over them for 3 turns, at the end of which they will die. Bonus: +4 to any roll asking the victim to do your bidding - whether that be fighting or opening a locked door. Your mind link will last for 3 rolls, plenty of time to get what you need, before discarding them. Penalty: -4 from any rolls you make whilst controlling someone else. Your mind link is powerful, but requires your attention to maintain it. You can chooose to release the victim early, and regain +2 until the end of the 3 roll period. 'Hypnotic' Your voice is irresistible, your commands must be obeyed. Bonus: +4 to any persuasion or intimidation roll. The subject will complete one commanded action exactly as ordered. Penalty: -4 for next 3 rolls. It's tiring, forcing people to do what you want them to do, once done it takes a few moments to properly recover. 'Telepath' You are attuned to the minds of others. It can be useful, but not always pleasant. You have little control over what you hear and when, and many strong thoughts can be overpowering. You can attempt to transmit and receive thoughts, but even when successful it's rarely clear. Skills: 'Perception +2. Attack psi +2 'Broadcast & Receive: You can send messages which land directly in the brains of others. Friends may be contacted at a distance, others only when close by. You can also listen in much more clearly and easily to the thoughts of others, shutting out the sounds you don't need and digging deeply into someone's mind. Bonus: '''+4 to any Telepathic roll. Broadcasted messages are now clear as a bell, when successful, and you may send to multiple targets. Received messages are now clear, and over 3 successes will allow you to pick one piece of extra information from your target. '''Penalty: Failed checks cause mental feedback, -2 from the next 5 rolls. 'Psychic Explosion:' You hit your target's brain like a sledgehammer on a watermelon, causing total loss of function for a short time. Bonus: Add +2 to any telepathic rolls. Successes put your target on the floor for 5 rolls or the rest of the encounter. Penalty: Hurts like hell even if you succeed, you can only do this 2 times per rest cycle. If you fail, you hit the ground instead for 2 rolls or until the end of the encounter. 'Exert Control:' Sometimes you just want to make them dance. Take control of your target and make them use their skills for your purposes. Bonus: '''Take control of their dice to make them do your bidding for 3 rolls or until the end of the encounter. '''Penalty: This requires your attention, -4 from all rolls while you're controlling someone else. Failure causes mental feedback and puts you out of action for the next roll. 'Knowledge Seeker' You don't just thirst for knowledge, it comes right below oxygen on your hirarchy of needs. Any information or research that goes on when you're around gets a boost. Skills: Perception +2. Knowledge +2. 'Lie Detector:' You know when someone's lying, whether you want to or not. Great for finding stuff out, not so great for trusting your friends and loved ones. You always know - but you don't always have to share, that's your burden to bear. Everyone gains +1 to any information seeking check when you're nearby. Getting information out of other people guarantees a level of success: roll 1d10 pass/fail against a difficulty check to see how much you can figure out from what they say/don't say. All these lies take their toll, though. Every rest cycle throw 1d10 against a pass/fail check to see if your mental state worsens: gain +2 for the rest of the session if you pass, lose -2 for the rest of the session if you fail. 'Precognitive:' You can often see the future, though not always very far, and not always things that make sense. Bonus: +2 to any relevant checks. Make a Precog roll of 1d10 up to 3 times per rest cycle, against a pass/fail difficulty check, to see how much you can figure out. Penalty: It's tiring, so -2 for your next 5 rolls. If you fail the check, -4 for 5 rolls instead. 'Postcognitive:' You can see the past of a place, an object, even a person. You can't always choose what you see, but it's easier to see things that happened more recently, or that were fraught with emotion or violence. Bonus: 'Roll with an extra +4 against any information checks on specific locations of objects within your vicinity, you can make 3 per rest cycle - to see what you can pick up. '''Penalty: '''The bad things you see take a toll, they can stay with you for a while. -2 from your next 5 rolls. 'Empath You're sensitive to the emotions and emotional changes of those around you, for good or ill. Use it to help, or use it to hurt - your choice. You're more powerful when surrounded by people working toward the same goal. Skills: Attack psi +2. Healing +2. 'Healer:' You chose to help people, sometimes even your enemies. You can assist when people are suffering ill effects from battle or failed rolls. Bonus: '''Roll 1d10 pass/fail check per friend to remove any negative effects from one of your friends, including penalties, injuries, and lost points. It takes a toll, though, so you can only do this a max of 3 times per rest cycle. Up to 3 times per rest cycle you may also add 1 point per friend to any roll(s). '''Penalty: For any failed roll, -2 for 5 rolls. 'Overwhelm:' Bad guys underestimate you at their peril: you might look harmless, but you can get inside their heads and crush them. Bonus: Roll 1d10 for a pass/fail difficulty check up to twice per enemy encounter. If you succeed, the targeted enemy loses the ability to function for 2 rolls. Penalty: It's tiring, especially if it backfires. -4 for 5 rolls if you fail. 'Manipulate:' You can make someone forget why they're fighting you, or decide you're the most trustworthy person on earth who they should tell all their secrets to. Useful for fighting and interrogation. Bonus: For every attack directed at you, roll 2s10s to defend: score higher and the enemy forgets to attack for the rest of the turn. Any roll you or your friends make against them gains +2 while they're distracted by something shiny. For any information seeking check any of you make, add 1 point per nearby friend. Penalty: 'A failed check hurts. Miss the next roll if in a fight. If seeking information, -4 from your next 2 rolls, whatever they are. 'Demonic - Warrior The Demons came from different dimensions, and infected (and occasionally raped) humans...and that's about all we know. You're part demon, you're deadly, you're hard to kill, and that's kind of awesome. Note: you are obvously not human. Those with dmonic blood cannot walk around in their natural form amongst humans and not be noticed. Skills: 'Armour skin +2. Attack melee +2. 'Poisoned Claws: Whether you have them all the time, or grow them when threatened, whoever you're facing would do best to keep away. Bonus: A succesful hit removes 1d10 immediately from your target, and then 1d10 per turn for the rest of the encounter. Penalty: You have poison in your blood! Any hits gained on you hurt like hell - lose 1d10 for every failed defense check. 'Paralysing Roar:' Sometimes you just need a moment to think. Fortunately, you can always find one. Bonus: A successful check against your enemmies roll will stop every nearby enemy from doing anything for two rolls. Penalty: Even though your friends know you, it's still pretty damn scary, everyone drops 1d10 for two rolls. 'Armoured' You're pretty much a tank. Good times. Bonus: '''Remove 1d10 from your attacker on every combat check, and once an encounter add up to 4 points to your roll. '''Penalty: You're a little softer on the inside than the outside, any hit that does get through uses enough force to stagger you, stopping you for one roll. 'Demonic - Necromancer' Also part-demon, you have control over the dead. They may not like it, but they don't have much of a choice. Skills: 'Attack psi +2, Armour skin +2 'Raise Dead Temporarily raises the recently dead. Killed someone? Great! Make them fight for you. In a graveyard? It'll take them a few minuts to dig out, but you can raise them too. Keep yourself alive as long as possible though, because the dead do not like being used. Bonus: Roll a pass/fail check, 1 check per 3 levels in this skill, to see how many bodies you can raise (as long as there are enough nearby). Each check is more difficult than the last: raising multiple bodies is not easy. If successful, the raised are yours to command for 3 rolls, after which another check is required, which will also be more difficult each time. Penalty: You must focus all your attention on the dead, you can't use any other traits or attacks while your dead are walking, though you can roll to defend. 'Spirit Drain' The recently dead have more than one use. You drain a lingering spirit to restore yourself, with the potential to restore others at higher levels. Useful for paper cuts, bruises, knockouts, shoving your guts back in, etc. Bonus: Roll pass/fail check to heal yourself of wounds and injuries. Difficulty decreases as you add levels. At level 5 in you can roll a harder check to heal an ally. Penalty: Faiing the check stuns you, you're unable to move for 1 roll. You can only use this twice before you need to rest. 'Cursed Gaze' The necromancer catches the victim’s eye and shows them their mortality and inevitable doom. Bonus: Weakens your foe, giving them -4 and increasing difficulty on any pass/fail checks. Remove 1 more dice/increase difficulty checks every 3rd level. Penalty: Failure weakens you, -2 and increased pass/fail difficulty for 2 rolls. Can only use this twice before you need to rest. 'Horrific Cry' You open your mouth and let out a roar, channeling your inner demonic ancestry into the most fucked up sound you can muster. Bonus: Each person witin earshot, foe or ally, must make a pass/fail check: failing freezes them in terror for 1 roll, after which they must perform an easier check to regain movement. Slightly higher pass chance for those the Demonic considers allies. Penalty: The cry weakens you, -2 and increased pass/fail difficulty for 2 rolls. If you fail the check, you are weakened a lot more, and cannot act at all for 2 rolls. You can only use this skill once before resting. 'Demonic - Soulshifter' You can change the shape of your soul, shifting into other forms or using your soul to crush others. You're super fun at parties. 'Soulshift' You can change form at will, with some limitations. Good for hiding, good for fighting, and good for avoiding awkward conversations. Bonus: Choose 1 form per 5 levels in this skill, each form gains power the higher level you go. Roll a pass/fail check to shift. Newer forms are harder to shift to and maintain if injured. Penalty: -1 for the reminder of the battle for each fail. If injured, you can only shift back to your demonic form unless yuo pass a Shift Heal check (below). 'Shift Heal' Injured? No problem. Shift into another form that isn't injured, and leave that one to heal up later. Bonus: A pass/fail check to shift into the uninjured form of your choice. Higher levels reduce difficulty. You can do this multiple times if you have enough forms, but each time will increase in difficulty. Penalty: Your form will remain injured until you shift back to tend to it. Leave it too long and it may become permanently crippled, or you may lose the ability to shift to it completely. Fail a shift check and you are drained of energy, you cannot try again. 'Soul Grip' Use your Soulshifting ability to place a grip on another person's soul and squeeze. Just like crushing an orange. Bonus: Roll against any defences they have, higher levels mean more die for you to roll. Succeed and they collapse in agony for 2 rolls during which time they cannot move or function. Penalty: Fail the roll and you feel a portion of the agony inflicted. -2 and increased pass/fail difficulty for 2 rolls. Can only use this twice before needing to rest, raise this by 1 every 5 skill levels. 'Soul Bend' Using your Soulshifter abilities, place your grip on the soul of your chosen champion and force them to defend you against all attacks. Bonus: Roll against any defence your target has. If successful, they will attempt to deflect any attacks against you for 3 rolls, requiring a pass/fail check for each one, unless they are killed or disabled. Penalty: Controlling them takes effort. You can still act, but at -2 and increased pass/fail difficulty for these 3 rolls. Fail the initial check and you are weakened by feedback, -2 for 5 rolls. 'Mage' Your abilities can affect the world around you by moving small objects, heating things up or cooling them down, or giving your friends a boost. Just be careful not to get too tired. Skills: 'Armour magical +2. Attack magic +2. 'Elemental Base Select your first element to master at level 5. Select your second element to master at level 10. You may choose to imbue your Trait Skills with either of your chosen elements at any casting, though the results may be unpredictable. All elements work on sentient and non-sentient targets. Ice: 'Freezing splash damage, slowing whatever is in range and from level 15, making your target brittle. '''Fire: '''Fiery splash damage, burning whatever is in range and from level 15, able to eat through most substances (though harder substances will require repeated castings). '''Earth: '''Rocks sprout from the earth around your target causing damage and, from level 15, able to hold a target in place for 2 rolls. '''Spirit: '''Removes the spirit connection from your target, separating it from the mortal plane for one roll, allowing you to move it as you wih. From level 15, roll a difficult Pass/Fail check to sever it permanently. '''Void: '''The void reaches out and grasps your target, preventing them from acting in their own defense and, from level 15, acting at all for one roll. 'Motor Control: Speed 'em up or slow 'em down, atoms are yours to command: run them at high speed till they drop or slow them till you're ready to deal with them. Bonus: Roll 1d10 against a pass/fail difficulty check. Penalty: Useable only twice per rest cycle. Failure makes the power hit back at you, -2 from your next 5 rolls. 'Telekinesis:' Objects move at your command! Useful for when you're too lazy to reach the remote, and when there's a gun pointed at your head. Moving mountains probably wouldn't be a good idea though. Bonus: '''Roll 1d10 against a pass/fail difficulty check to move whatever inanimate object you're trying to move. '''Penalty: Useable only once per encounter. Fail the check and take -2 for your next 5 rolls. 'Barrier:' Protect yourself or one of your friends from physical attack. Bonus: '''Your target gains +2 against any physical attack for 3 rolls. '''Penalty: It takes energy to keep that thing in place, -2 from your next 3 rolls. 'Witch' It's fun to mess with people's minds. Especially when they're trying to kill you (but also when they're not). You can sneak inside people's heads and make them think twice about attacking. Skills: 'Attack magic +2. Perception +2. 'Doppleganger: Create a double of yourself to confuse and distract your attacker. Bonus: '''Roll 1d10 for a pass/fail difficulty check. If you succeed, your attacker goes for the wrong you (who then vanishes, while you point and laugh). '''Penalty: It takes energy to do that, -2 from your next roll. If you fail the check, -4 for your next 3 rolls. 'See Visions: ' Send visions into your target's mind - scare them off, make them think they're floating in a pool of marshmallows, whatever you like. Bonus: Roll 1d10 against a pass/fail difficulty check. Your target is distracted and doesn't do anything for the next 2 rolls. Penalty: 'You can only do this twice per rest cycle. Fail the check and you see the visions instead - though you know it's fake, so only lose 1 roll., and take -1 on the second. 'Support: Friend in trouble? Give them a boost. Bonus: Add +4 to your chosen friend for the next 3 rolls. Penalty: Cannot be applied to yourself (sorry). -2 from your next 3 rolls. 'Tech' Gadgets are fun. Use them to kill things, defend yourself, or make a little friend to do that for you. If you're not superpowered, this is the next best thing. Skills: Attack melee +2'.' Attack ranged +2 'Combat Tech' Use your tech skills to make things that kill. If getting this at the start, you may also take 2 items - choose wisely who you'd like to be able to hurt right away. Bonus: +4 to any roll which uses your gadgets against the correct type. Penalty: -2 when being attacked by someone/something you don't have a gadget for. 'Defence Tech' Use your gadgets to give yourself defences - armour, resistances, whatever you chooose: but you can only take 2 items if you're getting this as your first trait. Choose what you'd like to be able to survive, and hope you don't get something else trying to kill you... Skills: Armour suit +2. Tech +2 Bonus: +4 to any roll which uses your gadgets against the correct type. Penalty: '-2 when being attacked by someone/something you don't have a gadget for. 'Drone Tech Take a friend with you to help attack or defend or both! You'll start with just 2 items, but your drone can use them too. Jut beware: while drone is good for a sneak-attack, if it gets downed, so do any gadgets you gave it. Skills: First choose Attack/Defense/Both Attack: Tech +2, Attack ranged +2 Defence: Tech +2, Armour suit 2 Both: Tech +1, Attack ranged +1, Armour suit +1 Bonus: +4 to combat rolls where your drone is in play. Penalty: -2 to any roll where your drone isn't in play. 'Void Touched' Mythical bardic figure, connected to the void between planes. The Void Touched thinks in song and each sound they make is imbued with chaotic magic, which they can learn to channel through instruments or song. Low leve Void Touched will injure everyone around them, ally or enemy. As they increase in level, they will learn to do less damage to alllies and more to enemies. The Void Touched are very resistant to any mind control techniques Choosing this trait locks all other traits, but you may choose one Trait Skill every 5 levels. However you cannnot take more than 2 instrument-required traits out at one time, and they must be carried in special cases in order to avoid any interaction between them, or any voice skills. Taking out an instrument will take 1 turn. The Void Touched are incredibly rare, and as such no more than 1 player can take this Trait at a time. The Void Touched Trait Skills work very differently to others: the damage s guaranteed as their power cannot be blocked, but as the Void Touched levels up, they learn to focus the damage to do less to allies and more to enemies. At level 10, allies can begin to make save rolls to avoid damage, and the difficulty of these will slowly drop. The Void Touched can take standard Skills in the same way as other Traits. Skills: Armour (psi) +7, Attack (magic) +3 'Harmonise' Sing in multiple voices (2 to begin with, increasing with level), causing a mental vice to grip all nearby for a pass/fail check. Difficulty will increase with each check. 'Demonic Orchestra' Play your pan pipes and a hypnotic haze drops over all nearby, stopping their actions and making them suggestible to the Void Touched for a pass/fail check. Difficulty will increase with each check. 'Void Ax' Your guitar creates a black lightning strike of void power for a pass/fail check. Difficulty will increase with each check. 'Dissipate' Your tambour removes all trace of magic in the area, and if successful makes magic users unable to cast for 1 roll=. Roll a pass/fail check. Difficulty will increase with each check. 'Convergence' Your flute opens a single door to multiple dimensions at once, creating a shockwave that violently blasts back all in range. Roll a pass/fail check. Difficulty will increase with each check. 'Void Storm' Level 20 or above only, damage to allies cannot be reduced, a correctly pitched voice will open a Void portal, puling out shards of black chaotic magic to tear everything in range to shreds. No check to cast, but roll a pass/fail check to see how much this damages you - difficulty will decrease with level, but increase each casting until rested. 'Phase-Shifter' The Phase-Shifter's skills vary depending on their exact skillset to be added, but they possess the ability to alter themselves at an atomic level to match another material, in order to move through or emulate it. Max number of uses bgins at 3 and increases x1 per 2 levels. Skills: Attack magic +2 and Armor magic +2 'Master: Rock' The shifter who has mastered Rock can shift in and out of stone for as long as they can hold their breath, and can chnge their flesh to stone - useful for armor, or to add some heft to a punch. '''Bonus: '''Add +2 to any defence or melee roll. '''Penalty: '''Shifting or emulating slows you down, and will wear you out after a while. +1 to any difficulty checks, and heavily increasing chance of being hit by any attack, further increasing your exhaustion with each one that connects.